Uzumaki Naruto: Umikage
by YDdraigGoch94
Summary: The Elemental Nations never cared for what was beyond their borders. They never wondered what dangers might lie beyond the horizon. Yet, two years after the greatest battle in the history of the Shinobi, a terrible enemy lurks. One that even the Rabbit Goddess ran from, and it's up to Team Seven to discover and stop the potential destruction of everything that they hold dear.
1. Dawn of a Ninja-Pirate's Romance

**Disclaimer** : One Piece is the intellectual property of the great Eiichiro Oda, while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Anything else you might recognise from other shows/manga/books/etc do not belong to me. I own nothing but the plot to this story, and the odd OC that I have created. Please support the official release!

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 **~ Chapter 1 - Dawn of a Ninja-Pirate's Romance ~**

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"I still don't get why I have to be the one who goes everywhere," a blond young man complained.

He wore a black uniform jacket with an orange zip and buttons on the waist and sleeves. Around his forehead was an elastic headband with a stylised leaf on the metal plate. He wore orange trousers and the standard shinobi sandals. On his left arm was a red armband with the Uzumaki crest. His right arm was completely wrapped up in white bandages, right up to the finger tips. The outfit was finished with a red, short sleeved haori, with black flames along the bottom.

"Because, Naruto, you're the Saviour of the World," a pink haired woman said beside him, "Everyone wants a glimpse of the man who prevented the end of the world."

The woman wore a sleeveless red qipao dress that reached down to her upper thighs, with white trimmings and a white circular design on the back, tied with a black obi. Underneath the dress was a pair of black shorts. In addition, the woman wore black gloves, grey elbow and knee protectors, and high-heeled shinobi sandals. She wore a red coloured headband like a hairband, with a similar metal plate to the blond man.

"But Sakura-chaaaan," Naruto petulantly whined, "It's boring!"

"Shannarō!" Sakura yelled, pounding Naruto on the head, "How do you think I feel! Kakashi-sensei sent me with you 'cause I'm the only one who'll keep you in line! And with Sasuke-kun who knows where, you're the one people want to see!"

The pair were currently travelling through the islands of Mizu no Kuni, returning from seeing the Godaime Mizukage, Terumī Mei. It was the final leg of an around the continent trip that Naruto was made to do, to oversee the signing of a treaty that would see the Allied Shinobi Forces become the Shinobi Union. The Union was an attempt to maintain the alliance that saw old enemies become new friends. It also included several smaller nations and villages.

It had been two years since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, and in that two years, the Elemental Nations were undergoing a period of rebuilding. The war had killed off a good quarter of the eighty thousand shinobi that made up the Allied Shinobi Forces. With the loss of many experienced shinobi, the Five Great Nations were left needing to rely on each other to maintain the balance between the smaller countries. In the aftermath, smaller shinobi villages attempted to gain more strength, only for the ASF to come down hard and fast. One such battle was when the remnants of Otogakure, leaderless due to the change of heart of Orochimaru and Kabuto, making a play to annex Yu no Kuni. It failed, due in no small part of Sasuke effectively annihilating the invasion force single-handedly.

"Hmph. Doesn't mean I have to like it, 'ttebayo," Naruto muttered with a pout.

"Anyway, how's things between you and Hinata?" Sakura asked, deciding to change the subject.

Almost immediately after Naruto and Sasuke had their final battle at the Valley of the End, Naruto had a private conversation with Hinata. To this day, no one knew what was said between the two, but once Naruto was given his prosthetic arm, he asked Hinata out on a date. Initially, it was a 'thank you' date, as Naruto admitted that if it wasn't for Hinata's intervention when Neji sacrificed himself, he might have lost all hope. However, when Hinata brought up her, albeit ill-timed, confession during Pein's attack on Konoha, Naruto found himself in a very sticky situation. Given that he nearly succumbed to Kurama's malice, the events leading up to that were very hazy for him, and he couldn't even remotely remember the confession. Nevertheless, Naruto wasn't about to break the heart of the one person who unconditionally supported him throughout his life and was willing to date Hinata further, much to the surprise of everyone who thought Naruto was a dense idiot.

"We, er…We decided to break things off," Naruto confessed, frowning slightly.

"What!? When?" Sakura demanded.

"It was at your nineteenth birthday party, actually," Naruto explained, somewhat sadly, "We…We realised that it wasn't exactly what we hoped for. Hinata was in love with an idea of me. Not…Well…Not the _real_ me."

"Oh no…" Sakura groaned, "You had a good thing going!"

"Yeah, well. It's not all bad. It was a mutual thing," Naruto assured, "We're still friends, and I think Hinata's seeing a noble from Atsushi-heika's court."

"Well…I suppose that's good. Though, I still can't get over the fact that you're on a first name basis with the Fire Daimyō," Sakura said, shaking her head.

"Well, he's family. In a distant sort of way," Naruto explained, while grinning, "His mum's an Uzumaki. Who knew?"

"And it had nothing to do with the fact that he's not so subtly encouraging a match between you and Atsuko-hime?" Sakura drily asked.

Naruto blushed, rather furiously. The youngest granddaughter of the Fire Daimyō was a rather forward character, and nearly always left Naruto feeling uncomfortable whenever they met. If Naruto was truly honest, he wasn't all that comfortable with the fame he had.

"What's wrong?" Sakura then asked, noticing Naruto's change in mood.

"It's just…All this fame…All this acknowledgement. I dunno…It just feels…Fake," Naruto replied, unable to put his feelings properly into words.

"What? Why?" Sakura inquired, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Because…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, racking his brain for the right words to answer his friend.

"Because?" Sakura probed.

"I…I still remember my childhood, Sakura-chan," Naruto wearily admitted, "The staring. The isolation…The hatred. I mean, it's weird I know, but to see people I still remember treating me like trash, now being all flustered around me and the like. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, dattebayo!"

Sakura's frown turned to a sad smile.

"I get that, and it's not weird," she said, "Anyone would be unsettled by it."

The pair continued to run across the still waters, as there weren't any ferries available to take them to the border of Hi no Kuni. Normally, water-walking would be discouraged across open water, but thanks to the Sanbi no Kyodiagame Isobu, who had made the area his domain, the seas in between the islands of Mizu no Kuni were pretty calm. Sakura then exhaled with a slump of her shoulders, causing Naruto to frown.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Just thinking," she sighed.

"About Sasuke?"

"Just wondering where he is. It's been nearly two years, and we haven't heard a thing," Sakura replied. However, upon seeing a strange look on Naruto's face, she added, in a dangerous tone, "Haven't we?"

"Um…Well…" Naruto hesitated, clearing his throat.

"Narutoooo…"

"Pleasedon'tbemadbutI'vebeenintouchwithhimsinceheleft," Naruto blurted out, all at once.

"Shannarō!" Sakura punched him again, causing Naruto to face plant into the water. It was only due to Sakura hoisting him up by the scruff of his neck, that Naruto didn't nearly drown.

"Ouch, Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, "S'not my fault. I thought he would send letters to you through his summons."

"Well, he didn't," Sakura huffed, "What is that moron doing, anyway?"

"He figured out a new Jikūkan Ninjutsu with that OP Rinnegan of his," Naruto muttered, "Said he was going to go through Kaguya's Dimensions and something about discovering Kaguya's origins."

"Why would he want to do that?" Sakura inquired, perplexed.

"Dunno, really. Just said that there's nothing about where Kaguya came from, and he didn't want any more surprises," Naruto replied.

"He does realise that much of the history about the Elemental Nations before the formation of Konoha is almost non-existent," Sakura drily stated, "And anything that is written down is almost impossible to gain access to?"

"That's what I said!" Naruto exclaimed, "Then the ass says that he knows that, and that's why he's going through Kaguya's Dimensions. To see if he can find anything important there."

"Oh…that moron…" Sakura growled.

Naruto, sensing that his long-time friend was about to blow a fuse, changed the subject, though struggled for a topic to talk about. Fortunately, an answer came in the form of a small fishing town.

"Hey, let's go and take a break over there. I wonder if there's any ramen," Naruto drooled, as he ran off, thinking of the glorious food of the gods.

Sakura shook her head in fond exasperation, and swiftly followed.

Barely half an hour later, and the pair were sat in a café, with Naruto slumped over the table and Sakura sat opposite, sipping from a cup of oolong tea and reading one of Senju Tsunade's medical journals.

"Whyyyyyy," Naruto moaned. It had turned out that the small town didn't have a single ramen bar, much to the horror of Naruto.

"Really, Naruto," Sakura giggled, "It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? Not that bad?!" Naruto retorted, on the verge of hysterics, "I haven't ramen in nearly a month! That's not bad. That's a nightmare!"

"Stop overreacting," Sakura said, dismissively.

Naruto groaned, and sprawled over the table once more. If he was being honest with himself, Naruto was bored. Not that he didn't appreciate the period of true peace, but in the last two years, he hadn't had a single good fight. It was maddening. The remaining unsealed Bijū were living lives of solitude, and the last time he sparred with Kirābī, he got yelled at by the Yondaime Raikage for almost burying Kumogakure in a rock slide. Since then, he was forbidden for so much as training with the jinchūriki of the Hachibi.

This left Naruto feeling adrift. Almost without a purpose. Despite the peace, however, there was still plenty of work for shinobi. On top of relief and rescue during natural disasters, there were still the likes of bandits preying on civilian caravans. Occasionally, the odd shinobi went rogue and needed hunting down. Not to mention the increase in pirate activity in the last two years. The latter was actually a common topic for a lengthy discussion, from the highest ranks of any village leadership, to the lowest of commoners. Stories varied, of course, but the common factor was that the pirates lacked chakra, something which was thought to be impossible. Naruto knew better, given that he was well aware of the origins of chakra, but it did raise the point that outsider folk were coming to the rather isolated Elemental Nations, for the first time in written history.

Speaking of which.

"Sakura-chan."

"Hm…?"

"That ship, over there," Naruto slowly said, squinting to get a better look, "What does it look like to you?"

"What...?" Sakura looked to over where her teammate was gazing, "Looks like a…Huh? Is that a black flag…?"

"That's what I thought," Naruto nodded, "Pirates?"

"Could be," Sakura hummed, "Are you going to take a look?"

"Of course I am dattebyo!" Naruto stated, and jumped towards to sea.

He landed, just shy of the water, on a pier. He paused, briefly, thinking over what to do.

"Hmm…Bijū Mode seems like overkill," Naruto commented, "Sennin Mode, it is!"

Thanks to leftovers of the Yang portion of the Rikudō Chakra, Naruto could enter Sennin Mode, almost instantly. The visuals had changed. He no longer had pigment around his eyes, nor the toad-like eyes that came with the transformation. Even his Bijū Mode had taken on a new form.

Within moments, Naruto's eyes morphed into the orange coloured irises and slit pupils, the visual proof of him entering Sennin Mode.

"Huh, seems like the stories were right," Naruto remarked, "They don't have chakra."

 ** _BOOM_**

"Ora?" Naruto looked up, only for his eyes to bulge outwards at the sign of several cannon balls being fired at the coast, "Kuso!"

He then leaped into the air, and catch the balls he could reach, either deflecting them into the water, or back towards the pirate ship. Unfortunately, he missed one.

"Look out!" Naruto called out in warning. It was unnecessary, however, as Sakura was there.

"Shannaaaaarō!" she yelled, punching her fist forward. A loud explosion erupted due to the impact, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted. Fortunately, the dust cloud blew away, leaving behind an unhurt Sakura, with her fist raised.

"Heh. Tsunade-shishō throws them harder than that," she smirked, "Go get them, Naruto!"

"Yosha!"

He then leaped, pumping chakra into his legs, over the entire length of the water and landed on the deck of the ship, right in the middle of the crew. Naruto then stood up from his crouched position, blinking in surprise at the expression of the pirates around him. Every single of one them, even the one who Naruto assumed was the captain, had dropped their jaws, almost to the middle of their chests.

' _Is even possible for a person to drop their jaws that much_?' Naruto thought, raising a brow in confusion.

A scant few moments later, the leader of the pirates shook his head to regain himself, and drew his cutlass.

"I don't know how you did that brat, but you're going to regret boarding my ship," the grizzled man said. He then turned to his subordinates, "Get him!"

A unified battle cry came from the pirates, as they charged him at the same time. Naruto was hardly fazed, simply cracking his neck and knuckled in preparation. Barely a few secondly later, and the deck was full of unconscious or groaning in pain pirates.

"Well," Naruto began, as he dusted his palms, "That was…slightly amusing."

He then heard a slight whimper, and turned to its source, the pirate captain.

"Wh…Wha…What are you?" he whispered, wide-eyed.

"Me?" Naruto asked, a finger pointed at himself, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato. I'm the future Nanadaime Hokage, and the guy who just kicked your minions' asses.

"Now, who the hell are you?" he then asked, "The type of pirates I know are a lot less obvious than you guys are."

The captain shook, not in fear like before, but in anger. With roar, he drew his cutlass, and wildly charged at Naruto, who dodged with a startled yelp. Once the rogue was past him, Naruto chopped at the pressure point on the pirate's neck, knocking him out.

Sighing slight, Naruto then gathered up the unconscious pirates, while knocking out those that were still awake, and placed them in a pile.

" **Kaeru Kaeru no Jutsu**!" he then said. A cloud of smoke later, and instead of a pile of unconscious bodies, there were as many toads standing to attention. It was a technique that Jiraiya taught Naruto, one that allowed for easy transportation of prisoners. Naruto then went through the seals for another technique, " **Kuchiyose no Jutsu**!"

Once again, a cloud of smoke appeared. This time a medium sized toad, wearing samurai armour, appeared.

"Naruto-dono," the toad greeted, "How may I be of assistance?"

"Hey Gama," Naruto waved back, "Mind taking these prisoners with you? And have someone use Gyaku Kuchiyose to bring them to Konoha?"

"As you command, Naruto-dono," Gama bowed, before taking the transformed prisoners back to Myōbokuzan.

With that being done, Naruto jumped off the pirate vessel and back to the harbour. Waiting for him, was Sakura, who had been tending to those injured by the debris caused by the explosions. It was good fortune that no one was killed, though a few suffered minor injuries.

"All done?" Sakura asked.

"Yup. Easy as ramen," Naruto grinned.

Sakura involuntarily snorted at the altered idiom, before asking, "Who were they, then? Nukenin turned pirates?"

"Nope," Naruto shook his head, "These guys had no chakra."

Sakura blinked, "What?"

"Mhm. I was in Sennin Mode. I couldn't sense any chakra," Naruto explained, "I think they're from beyond the eastern waters of Mizu no Kuni."

"Naruto, that's absurd!" Sakura argued, "No one has been able to return from venturing that far."

"Dunno what to tell you, 'ttebayo," Naruto said, with a casual shrug, "I knocked 'em all unconscious and had them sent to Konoha via Myōbokuzan. T&I will suss them out."

"Right," Sakura sighed, "Well. This has been…amusing. Let's get back to Konoha."

"Finally!"

The pair then left, heading westwards to Hi no Kuni and towards their home.

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Konohagakure no Sato had changed a lot, over the past six years or so. Much of the reconstruction that followed the Konoha Crush was destroyed, in turn, during Pein's Assault on the village. In the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Konoha went under a lot of rebuilding, to the point that Naruto didn't recognise it one bit from his early Genin days. Not to mention that the head of their sensei and Rokudaime Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, finally had his head on the Hokage Rock, which had initially begun just prior to the start of the war, but was postponed until after the war had ended.

There was a lot of talk about extending the village beyond the circular valley in which the village was currently situated, due to a lack of space. However, most of those discussions were tabled for when the expansion was really necessary.

Currently, Naruto and Sakura were in the Hokage's office, opposite Kakashi. They had given their full report regarding the signing of the official treaty that would result in the creation of the Shinobi Union. Following that, they then explained the situation regarding the pirates, which led to the current conversation.

"You want me to what?" Naruto yelled.

Maintaining his standard aloof expression, the Rokudaime Hokage repeated himself.

"By collective agreement of the Shinobi Union, and the Grand Convocation of the Daimyō, Uzumaki Naruto is to take a group of shinobi and venture beyond the eastern seaboard of Mizu no Kuni," he said, reading off an official piece of paper.

"I'm being asked to become a pirate?!" Naruto's face was a mask of disbelief.

"Technically, the term is 'privateer'," Kakashi cheerfully corrected, with an eye-smile, "You will be government sponsored, after all"

"That's not the point!" Naruto roared.

"Naruto, we, as a culture, have no knowledge of what's beyond our borders," the former sensei of Team Seven explained, "The mountains beyond Iwa no Kuni and Kaminari no kuni are inaccessible, with the sea in between landlocked. No one as survived travelling beyond the sands southwest of Sunagakure. All that's left is the ocean beyond Mizu no Kuni."

"Yeah, but why me?" Naruto frowned, while he folded his arms.

"Because I asked for you, Usuratonkachi," a drawling voice said.

Naruto and Sakura turned towards the direction of where the voice came from, only to find themselves staring at their missing teammate.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Sasuke!"

Uchiha Sasuke, the second Child of the Prophecy, stood before the open window. He wore a typical Uchiha black high-collared shirt, a flak jacket that exposed his midriff, and light blue pants that were tucked into his shinobi sandals. Over his clothes, he wore a weather-worn, light brown poncho and his head was wrapped with a blue sash.

Normally, the last of the Uchiha would be aloof and calm, but at the precise moment, he was having to protect himself from the wrath of Sakura.

"Two years! Not so much as a note! Not even a 'Hey, I'm still alive. Don't worry'," she scolded, raining punches upon Sasuke, "Would have been so hard to just come by and say hello?"

"I couldn't," Sasuke grunted, "Ow! Sakura, stop! Naruto…ow…get her to stop!"

Much to Sasuke's irritation, however, Naruto was indisposed, having collapsed to the floor in laughter.

"Sakura. The dimensions I went to prevented summoning, for some reason. I couldn't send messages even if I wanted to," Sasuke explained, as Sakura retreated, hands on hips.

"That's a lie if there was any!" Sakura snapped, "You summoned a hawk during the fight with Kaguya!"

"Well I don't know!" Sasuke fired back, "Maybe the Jutsu Kaguya used to transport herself made it so that Kuchiyose no Jutsu worked? And maybe, my Jikūkan Ninjutsu isn't as good?"

"Oh? So, the great and almighty Uchiha Sasuke has found something he isn't good at," Sakura spat, "What's next? He'll finally upgrade his emotional range to a tablespoon? No, a teaspoon?!"

"Stop exaggerating!"

"Oh, I'm exaggerating?!"

"The only way I could contact you, was through Naruto, thanks to our shared Rikudō powers," Sasuke uncharacteristically blurted out, "Be angry with him!

"Wait, what? The prick didn't tell me that his summons didn't work, 'ttebayo!" Naruto looked honestly outraged that Sakura thought he would willingly keep her from her love interest, "And you never raised the problem that Sasuke wasn't sending any letters, so I thought all was good! It's not my fault."

Naruto then finished off, by sticking his tongue out in a childish manner. However, before Sakura could utter a retort, they were interrupted by a soft cough from the Hokage.

"Yare yare," he sighed, "It's like your genin days all over again."

"Ah, sorry, sensei," Sakura apologised, mortified that she behaved so badly in front of the Hokage, even if he was her former sensei.

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi waved off, "It's rather nostalgic really. Anyway, Sasuke please inform your teammates what you told the Gokage."

"Hn. I've found out Kaguya's origins," he announced.

"Nani?!" both Sakura and Naruto said in unison.

"How?" the latter added.

"I found a dimension she didn't transport us to during the fight," Sasuke told them, "It contained a castle. When I explored through it, I found several of her journals that dated to before she ate the Chakura no mi."

"And? What did you find?" Sakura pressed.

Here Sasuke's face became grim.

"From what I could tell, Kaguya came from beyond the eastern border of Mizu no Kuni," he went on, "She was a princess, and a survivor of a war that destroyed her kingdom, and killed her parents.

"She fled here, some eight hundred years ago. When she found the Shinju, she concocted a plan to use the Elemental Nations as the place in which to rebuilt and form and army to get her revenge," Sasuke continued, "From there, you and I know what happened."

"But…Who was she running from, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asked, "Hold on, what could possibly force a monster like Kaguya to run in the first place?"

"According to journal, it was an alliance of twenty kingdoms," Sasuke replied, "And Naruto. I know your tiny mind might not comprehend this, but Kaguya wasn't always all-powerful."

"Shut the fuck up, Sasuke," Naruto retorted, without missing a beat.

"Hn," the Last Uchiha smirked.

"It would seem that this alliance became an official government, similar to our Shinobi Union. They call themselves the World Government, and have jurisdiction over roughly one hundred and seventy different nations," Kakashi added, bringing back the conversation to the topic at hand, "Unfortunately, that is as far as our knowledge goes. The pirates you captured didn't seem to know much else."

"But why are we bothering with this? I mean, it's been centuries since Kaguya fled from wherever she came from, and this World Government hasn't bothered with us," Sakura inquired, "Plus, the increase in pirate activity has only been around for the past two years."

"That's because there was a complex barrier that protected the Elemental Nations," Sasuke explained, "The journals stated that once Kaguya mastered her powers, she created a barrier than hid the Elemental Nations from the rest of the world. To prevent her enemies from finding her."

"So? What happened to the barrier?" Naruto asked.

"Isn't it obvious, Usuratonkachi?" Sasuke asked back, with a mocking grin, though there was no insult behind it.

"Hmm…." Naruto rubbed his chin and closed his eyes, thinking hard. A flash of understanding passed his face as he opened his eyes and then said, "The reformation of the Jūbi?"

"Hai. The power it was throwing around, destabilised more than just the terrain," Sasuke said, "Much of the natural energy was disrupted, according to my snake and hawk summons. We just didn't see it, because we weren't in tune with those powers."

Naruto nodded and turned to Kakashi.

"So, what's the real reason for going?" he then asked, with a raised eyebrow, "It can't be for a recon mission. That's the sort of thing you'd send ANBU on. Not to mention the stuff that Sasuke's told us."

Kakashi sighed in exasperation, "I miss the days when you could be distracted by an offer to teach you a 'cool' Jutsu."

"Oi!" Naruto would deny it later, but his attempted frown was more of a childish pout.

"The Gokage do not like what the World Government represents," Kakashi gravely explained, "While it wasn't much, enough was gathered from the pirates that these World Nobles are a disgrace to humanity. That is why we want you to create as much chaos as possible, while agents will approach this so-called Revolutionary Army, for an alliance."

"Are we sure about who the good are and who the bad guys are, sensei?" Sakura hesitantly asked.

"No. Which is why you are going, Naruto," Kakashi said, "To get more information."

Naruto stood there in silence, mulling over the pros and cons of the mission. On one hand, he was being asked to go into a foreign land, without so much as any accurate information, and into possibly hostile conditions. On the other hand, he was getting increasingly bored, with no one to give him even the slightest of challenges. Even sparring with Sasuke could only go so far before they started to know each other's moves thoroughly. This mission might give Naruto some fierce opponents, and he knew that Sasuke would feel the same.

Looking up, he stared directly at Kakashi.

"So let me get this straight?" Naruto began, "You want me to go in to unknown territory with no first-hand information?"

"Check," Kakashi nodded.

"You want me to blatantly attack a Government that controls almost two hundred separate nations?"

"Yup."

"And you want me to do this, by becoming an outlaw? A rogue. A...Pirate-Ninja...No...A Ninja-Pirate?"

"Seems that way, yes."

Naruto stared at Kakashi. Kakashi calmly met the stare. Naruto started fidgeting. Kakashi maintained his composure. Naruto then began to sweat furiously. Kakashi still maintained his composure.

"Alright, fine!" Naruto burst out, "But I expect to be made Hokage when I get back! Ya hear?! Dattebayo!"

"Sure, whatever you want, Naruto," Kakashi drawled.

"Yosh! Now. Who can I take with me?" Naruto then asked.

"Anyone you wish, within reason," Kakashi answered.

"Hm. Fine. Sasuke, Sakura. You in?" Naruto turned towards his friends and teammates.

"Hn, as if you have to ask," Sasuke smirked.

"Who else would keep you boys under control," Sakura sighed, smiling.

"Alright, 'ttebayo!" Naruto shouted, "Ah. Hold on. I don't think the three of us would be enough."

"So? Who else do you want to take?" Kakashi asked.

"Er…Is Sai available? He is a member of Team Kakashi after all," Naruto said not wanting the former Root operative to feel like he was only on the Team because Sasuke was absent.

"He wants my replacement to come with us?" Sasuke mumbled in disbelief.

"Oh hush!" Sakura chided, trying and failing to hold in a giggle.

This exchanged went unnoticed by Naruto, who looked expectantly at the Rokudaime Hokage.

"Well, he is back in ANBU at the moment, but I can have him take off his mask," Kakashi mused, "Anyone else?"

"Shikamaru," Naruto firmly stated, "I'll need him for his plans."

"And for navigation, I presume?" Kakashi quirked an eyebrow.

"No comment," Naruto retorted, though a slight blush adorned his cheeks.

Kakashi shook his head in amusement before nodding.

"I can have the official paperwork drawn up in an hour, but I will have to have a conference call with the Gokage to inform them of the plan," he told his three former students, "Until then, go do something."

Upon being dismissed, Team Seven exited the office, but before Naruto could get a word it, Sakura grabbed Sasuke by the arm and pulled him towards destinations unknown, leaving the Sennin alone.

"Huh…Wonder what has Sakura-chan in a rush," Naruto mumbled, "Whatever, might as well go get some ramen."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Yes, I know. It's another story. But it was a plot that wouldn't go away, so I decided to type it up. Anyway, I haven't yet given up on my other stories, I'm just suffering from a lack of motivation, due to the restarting of my degree. Unfortunately, this means that updates will be far and few in between, until probably about March next year. This will disappoint some of you, but I would rather I spent more time writing high quality chapters and posting them, as and when, rather than rush sub-par work, on a regular basis. I'm sure you would prefer I wrote to my usual standard as well.

Just before I go, however, I just want you to know how I have unified the One Piece and Naruto 'verses. Firstly, this is canon for Naruto right up to the end of the manga chapter 699. This means that anything from The Last: Naruto the Movie is not applicable to this work. This is because I needed to reconcile the significance the Moon plays in both Naruto and One Piece. To this extent, the Gedō Mazō was not sealed inside the Moon (which the Rikudō Sennin created in Naruto canon), but a separate Summons Dimension.

On top of that Kaguya, is an Exiled Princess from the Great Kingdom, from One Piece. If you do not know what that is, that is the old enemy of the World Goverment back during the Void Century.

There are a bunch of other changes that I've made to streamline the fusing of the 'verses, but I'll bring them up when they become relevant.

Anyway, this is me, signing off.


	2. Panda-Birds and Witch-Pirates

**Disclaimer** : One Piece is the intellectual property of the great Eiichiro Oda, while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Anything else you might recognise from other shows/manga/books/etc do not belong to me. I own nothing but the plot to this story, and the odd OC that I have created. Please support the official release!

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 **~ Chapter 2 - Panda-Birds and Witch-Pirates ~**

* * *

A few months later, Naruto and his newly formed 'crew' were ready to set sail. Naruto, himself, had spent the better part of those months learning the ins and outs of naval travel. Seeing as he was the 'captain', he would need to at least know the basics of running a ship. Which meant heavy usage of Kage Bunshin, to condense what would usually be years' worth of learning into the space of a few weeks.

Architects from Kirigakure, on the orders of the Mizukage, had built a ship made from the confiscated ships of captured pirate crews, reasoning that the pirates didn't need them anymore. However, they had to warn Naruto. that the ship, labelled a schooner, wasn't professionally built, and that they should find a shipwright to construct a higher calibre vessel.

It wasn't all good, though. Upon being told that he was being chosen for a long-term mission, Shikamaru spent whatever spare time he had complaining to blond haired knucklehead about dragging him on one of Naruto's insane adventures. Which wasn't entirely wrong, as only Naruto had the strange knack for getting into the most convoluted of situations. That being said, it took the combined efforts of both his mother and Temari, the latter being his girlfriend for the last year, to get Shikamaru to actually commit to the mission. No one was quite sure what was said, but after the two most important women in his life were through with him, Shikamaru looked rather pale but told Naruto that he was coming.

Sai, who had come a long way since his days as a ROOT agent, was all too happy to join the mission. Almost to the point of subtly begging to come. When asked why, Sai revealed that Yamanaka Ino was making an attempt to seduce the ANBU member, after realising that Sasuke was effectively off the market. Sai, being a sheltered soul, was rather lacking when it came to social norms, and was utterly terrified by the notion of a young woman showing any form of interest in him. None of his self-help books were of any use, and any advice he tried to glean from the adults in his life was unsuccessful. Of course, when one asks for romance advice from Hatake Kakashi, they aren't going to get much useful information anyway.

Normally, five people would be too small a number to properly sail a ship of any reasonable size. However, Naruto's blatant abuse of Kage Bunshin meant that the grunt work was suitably done by the required number of crewmen. This allowed Naruto himself to man the steering wheel. Sakura handled the fully stocked Medical Bay, though had to have a lot more non-chakra based medicine on board, in case she had to treat patients without a fully functional Chakra Pathway System. Sasuke was ordered to man the Crow's Nest. The Last Uchiha tried, in vain, to protest about such a demeaning task, but was threatened with castration by a still pissed off Sakura. Suffice to say, there was no arguments from any of the male members of the crew. Shikamaru's duties were to handle navigation. Not because he was any veritable navigator, but because he was the only one smart enough to know how to do the job. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto had expressed the desire to learn, and Sakura was busy being the Ship Doctor. Finally, Sai was given the task of being the advanced scout. His ink based jutsu meant that he could send out birds to find any potential threats in advance. On top of that, he was tasked with designing a suitable Jolly Roger for the crew. It was still a work in-progress, but Sai informed Naruto that he had several ideas.

"So, you know what you are doing, yes?" Kakashi asked Naruto, as the latter's clones went about with final checks.

"Hai, hai. Go out and explore. Send back reports of what we've learned. Cause general chaos, that sort of thing, 'ttebayo!" Naruto replied, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

The Rokudaime Hokage's sweat dropped upon hearing the last bit.

"Try not to cause too much ah, _chaos_ , ne?" Kakashi chuckled.

Naruto snorted, "I don't try anything. It just happens, 'ttebayo."

' _That's what I'm afraid of_ ,' Kakashi thought.

"You got it, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cheerfully said.

It was then, that the remaining members of the crew arrived.

"Naruto, everything's loaded up," Sasuke said, "We're waiting on you."

"Right," Naruto nodded, before turning back to Kakashi.

"A mixed team of ANBU will approach the Revolutionary Army," Kakashi said, "So you don't have to go out and look for any one belonging to them.

"I know I'm asking a lot, but please try not to deliberately antagonise this World Government," Kakashi continued, directly looking at Naruto, "Without knowing their exact strength, the Shinobi Union won't be able to prepare properly."

"We'll do our best to keep Naruto out of trouble, Sensei," Sakura firmly stated, catching on to what the masked ninja was hinting towards.

"Hey!"

"It will be troublesome, but yeah, why not?"

"Oi! Shika!"

"He is dickless, so it should be easy."

"I'm standing right here, guys! Dattebayo!"

"Hn. Be quiet Usuratonkachi. The adults are talking."

"…You guys suck."

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Kakashi said, eye-smiling, "Do us proud Naruto."

"You bet!" Naruto grinned, bouncing back after the teasing from his friends.

"Team Naruto. Your mission to go out to the open sea and discover what it was the forced Kaguya to come to the Elemental Nations," Kakashi declared in an authoritative tone, "You are allowed to do so by any means necessary, but exercise caution. I expect biweekly updates via summons, or by whatever means you manage. Move out."

"Ryōkai!" the five members of the crew replied in unison, before boarding the schooner, and setting sail for the nearest island on the map provided.

* * *

About a week after they first left, they landed at a nearby uninhabited island. This was mostly so that Shikamaru could gain his bearings. According the maps and testimony of the captured pirates, the Elemental Nations were a peninsula in one of four seas. They were named North Blue, South Blue, West Blue, and finally East Blue. The Elemental Nations were at the back end of East Blue, so far out of the way that even before the barrier erected by Kaguya had been broken down, ships barely had any reason to come anywhere close to the near-isolated peninsula. Of course, from what T&I managed to find out, the waters were known was dangerous whirlpools that prevented ships from approaching Mizu no Kuni anyway. It was only after the barrier had fell that the whirlpools had stopped.

Once Shikamaru was somewhat certain that he knew where they were on the map, the crew then set sail for the nearest inhabited island; a place called Ocean's Naval.

"I still can't get over the name of the place we're going to 'ttebayo," Naruto commented from the wheel.

"Stop being troublesome, Naruto," Shikamaru grumbled, as he laid on his back on the deck.

"Honestly? Is not one bothered by the name?" Naruto cried out, "It's so random!"

"And Konohagakure isn't?" Sasuke drily remarked, gazing out into the open waters.

"Shut up, baka, at least that has some logic to it," Naruto retorted.

"Naruto of all people is talking about logic," Sakura mumbled, while she read a medical textbook.

"Tch, fine," the leader of the team relented, "How far off are we, Shika?"

The lazy Nara idly glanced at his compass before answering.

"Tilt the wheel twenty degrees starboard, the wind took us slightly off course," he replied in a bored tone.

Naruto complied, as the crew returned to an amiable silence. It last about ten minutes, before Sasuke spoke up.

"Guys. The emotionless wonder is back," he told them. His attitude towards Sai was still a bit standoffish, but Sasuke generally restrained himself from being rude towards Sai in person.

"Be nice, Sasuke-kun," Sakura chided, as she put her book away, and rose to stand beside the Uchiha.

About two hours ago, Sai went out on a scouting trip on one of his ink birds. Just as Sasuke said, he landed on the deck, and dismissed his jutsu, before turning to Naruto.

Before he could tell them all what he found, a loud caw was heard. The remaining four snapped to attention, and turned to face the direction from where the sound was heard. They all had to pause and blink before registering what they saw. Flying in a circulatory pattern was a large, rounded bird. It had features that made it look like some strange panda-bird hybrid, with a long beak, and sharp talons. It cawed once more, before landing gently on the deck.

"Um, Sai?" Naruto began, "What's goin' on?"

"I do not know for certain, Naruto," Sai replied, "While I was returning back, this bird intercepted me, but did not harm me. I believe he wishes for our assistance."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked in confusion, "How did you get that idea, 'ttebayo?"

"The bird looked at me imploringly, and its eyes suggested an intelligent mind. At a guess, I proposed that he follow me back to the ship, so that I may speak to you," Sai explained, "Much to my surprise, the bird nodded and followed me."

"Well, it's not the strangest thing that's happened. Hold on," Naruto paused in order to enter Sennin Mode, and gained the trademark eyes. Focusing on the bird, Naruto tried to gain a sense of what was the problem. He then closed his eyes in concentration and focused on connecting with the bird on a spiritual level. A split second later, and Naruto opened his eyes, "Get to your posts! Someone is in danger, dattebayo!"

"What?!" everyone else cried out.

"Move!" Naruto barked, "This bird's friend is being held hostage! We're gonna save her **! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**!"

A dozen or so clones of Naruto popped into existed in a cloud of smoke and ran to their designated posts.

"Sasuke run up to the Crow's Nest. Shikamaru make sure my clones don't fuck around. Sakura prep the medbay in case the girl needs help. Sai fly ahead and see what's going on. The bird will lead you," Naruto ordered, moving swiftly towards the wheel.

"Naruto, wait! What's going on?" Sakura asked, jogging after the ninja-captain.

"The bird, it's being hunted by some pirates. The pillage and burning kind," Naruto darkly explained, "They burned down this village that the bird claimed as its home, but a girl managed to escape with it. But the girl then got captured. She being held hostage to lure the bird."

"Oh no," Sakura whispered.

"Yeah. We're rescuing her," the tone in which Naruto said this told Sakura that he would brook no argument over the matter.

"Right," Sakura nodded, before heading towards her medbay.

It took barely an hour to get to where the girl was being held hostage. The place being a large war galley.

"Sasuke, I need a wide area genjutsu to hide our ship," Naruto said.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, as his eyes span into the regular Sharingan. A subtle pulse of chakra, that Naruto only sensed because of being in Sennin Mode, flared outwards from Sasuke, well past the enemy ship, "Done. They can't see, hear, or even smell us."

"Nicely done," Naruto complimented, before he became all business like, "Right. I'll go in undercover, using the Tōton Jutsu. When I give the signal, the rest of you will charge in."

"Er, Naruto? What's the signal?" Sakura asked, raising a hand.

"Oh, you'll know," Naruto grinned, before jumping off the side of the ship.

"That's what I was afraid of," the pink haired medic sighed, watching Naruto water walk towards the enemy ship.

However, unseen by the remaining shinobi, a lone figure observed them from the skies above.

"Well now. Who do we have here?" a reedy voice muttered.

It took barely a minute for Naruto to successfully board the ship. On the deck, several pirates were milling around, going about their usual duties. A couple were on a break, and Naruto paused to overhear what they were talking about.

"So, has the girl talked, yet?" one, with an oily voice, asked.

"Naw, she's quiet as a mouse," another, this time with a gravelly voice, replied.

"Hmph, I'm surprised that Spiel-senchō hasn't killed the girl, yet."

"Didn't ya hear? The bird we're hunting follows the girl 'round, like a pet. We keep her alive, and the bird will come straight to us."

"Oh. Heh. Still, did Senchō say we weren't to touch her?"

"What? No, why?" Gravelly Voice asked.

"Well, if she's not talking, maybe I could persuade her, if ya know what I mean," Oily Voice replied, with a lecherous smirk.

"Oh. Yeah, I gotcha. Sure, have at it. I doubt Senchō will mind. Just don't kill her."

"Sure, sure. I'll see ya in an hour. Maybe two."

"Right, whatever. Just keep the noise to a minimum.

Naruto kept the Tōton Jutsu up, as he stealthily followed Oily Voice, intent on finding the prisoner, and preventing what the pirate had in mind. After a few minutes, Naruto reached the brig, where a young woman was currently held prisoner. She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, with silver-blonde hair, though her face was covered by her arms. Her clothes were grimy but intact, which suggested that she was unharmed. For now, at least. She sat against the back of the wall, her head resting on her pulled-up knees.

"Hey, girly. You awake?" Oily Voice called out.

"I'm not going to tell you were Balloon is," a weary and muffled voice replied.

"I don't give a shit about some bloody bird," the pirate snorted, "I'm here for something else."

"What?" the girl finally looked up, revealing vibrant green eyes.

"Senchō wants you alive. Didn't say you had to be in one piece," Oily Voice lewdly grinned.

The girl looked confused for moment, before her face morphed into one of utter horror.

"No, you can't!"

The pirate snorted, "Girly. There's nothing I can't do. Right now, my word is law."

The girl scrambled as far away from the prison door as she could, trying to put as much distance as she could between her and her would-be attacker.

By this point, Naruto had enough.

"Yeah, I don't think so," he said, undoing his jutsu, and knocking Oily Voice out with a swift blow to the head. The girl shrieked in surprise, startling Naruto, who hissed, " _Quiet_ , or the others will hear!"

"Who the hell are you?" the girl hissed.

"Er…I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm here to rescue you!" the blond-haired ninja introduced, while he picked the lock, "Your friend brought us here."

"Balloon?" the girl asked.

"Is that his name?" Naruto asked, with a raised eyebrow, "Huh. He prefers to be called 'Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All'."

"Sorry, what?"

"That's what he calls himself," Naruto explained.

"What…How do you know that?" the girl asked, utterly bemused.

"I speak bird," the blond shinobi stated, as though it answered everything.

"Are you insane?!"

"Hey, I'm not insane!" Naruto pouted, "Whatever, what's your name?"

"And why should I just…tell you?" the girl glared suspiciously.

"Because I rescued you, and not just from a potentially nasty situation?" Naruto fired back, quirking an eyebrow.

"Tch, whatever. My names Ann," despite the bravado, Naruto could tell that the girl was shaken.

"Nice to meet you, Ann," Naruto nodded. The door then creaked open, and the blonde strode out.

"Where is Balloon?"

"Nearby, on my ship," Naruto replied, "My friends are keeping him safe."

"Ship? Wait…Are you a pirate!?" Ann backed away.

"Woah, hold on. I'm a ninja…Ninja-Pirate, but a ninja first!"

"That doesn't make it any better!" Ann yelled.

"Quiet!" Naruto hissed, "They'll hear us!

"Look, I swear I'm not going to hurt you!" he went on, "Once we get out of here, you and your bird can go wherever."

"Promise?" Ann still looked unconvinced.

"Promise."

"…Fine. Let's go," she then picked up a pair of flintlock pistols from the knocked-out pirate.

"You know how to use those?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," Ann mumbled, "My Dad taught me before he…Before he was killed."

"…I'm sorry to hear that," Naruto quietly said.

"Thank you," Ann nodded, just as quietly.

After a few moments of silence, Naruto spoke up.

"How do you know that bird, anyway?" he asked.

"…I've known him for as long as I can remember," Ann replied, "We were never apart. We played together and slept together."

"Slept…?"

"Not like that, pervert!" Ann furiously whispered, slapping Naruto upside his head.

"…Sorry, I blame my pervert of a shishō for making me think like that," Naruto sourly explained, rubbing his abused head.

"Whatever…Anyway. To others, Balloon might just be a bird," Ann continued, "But to me, he's someone I can trust more than anyone else: my best friend."

"Huh," Naruto didn't know what to say to that, but then asked, "Why were you kidnapped?"

"Because I'm cute!"

' _Is this girl for real_ ,' Naruto deadpanned.

The pair silently sneaked through the ship, pausing every now and then to knock out any pirates they ran across. They eventually made it to the deck of the ship, where they came upon a sight that Naruto would use as blackmail for the rest of his life.

There, in the middle, was Sasuke, Sakura, Sai and Shikamaru chained up and surrounded by the enemy pirates at sword point.

"…The hell?!" Naruto yelled, "I was gone for like five minutes, tops, 'ttebayo!"

Sasuke mumbled something that Naruto couldn't quite decipher.

"What was that, Sasuke? I didn't catch that," Naruto called out, cupping an ear.

"I said; the genjutsu didn't work!" Sasuke said, a little louder.

"…I'm so gonna hold this over you," Naruto grinned.

"Naruto!"

" _Forever_."

The Last Uchiha bristled in indignation, but a loud cackle prevented the two best friends from exchanging further barbs.

"So you're the leader of this ragtag bunch that brought back my Ruku?" a tall lanky man with a sallow face asked. Weirdly, the man arranged his hair in a hexagonal pattern. Beside the man was the bird, caged.

"Who're you?" Naruto demanded, drawing a kunai.

"The name's Spiel the Hexagon," the pirate introduced himself, "And I suppose I ought to thank you for bringing back the bird."

"Thank you?" Naruto's face morphed into one of bewilderment.

"Of course, once I drink the blood of this Ruku, I will finally cement my immortality!" Spiel declared.

"Wait a minute, you're the dude who kidnapped Ann! And killed everyone in her home!" Naruto yelled, pointing at the pirated.

"Well of course. They were in the way," Spiel sneered.

"How did you even see through the genjutsu?" Naruto then demanded, frowning. Sasuke's genjutsu were unparalleled.

"Please," Spiel snorted, "As if that childish illusion could fool me."

"Uh what?" Naruto dumbly asked, before noting Sasuke's increasingly irritated expression.

"Such juvenile magic is nothing compared to my might," the pirate boasted.

"Er, magic? Wait, dude you might want to quit while you're ahead," Naruto nervously looked at Sasuke, as his irritation turned to anger.

"I suggest you kids surrender, if this is how weak you are," Spiel cackled.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back, as Sasuke's fury reach its breaking point.

"That it is!" Sasuke roared, breaking the chains that held the shinobi, " **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu**!"

"What in the hell!" Spiel cried out, startled.

Several crewmembers were engulfed by the flames, which prompted Sakura, Sai and Shikamaru to attack.

The Nara swiftly knelt and went through two hand seals.

" **Hiden: Kage Nui no Jutsu**!" he uttered, causing Shikamaru's shadow to extend and morph into sharp needles which impaled the surrounding pirates.

" **Ninpō: Chōjū Giga**!" Sai softly said, as several ink beasts emerged from his scroll and attacked several of the crew.

Sakura, opting for the more direct route, simply punched whichever pirate was near her.

"What…Who are you people?!" Spiel yelled, "What is this magic you're using!"

"Magic? How...pedestrian," Sasuke drawled, drawing his Chokutō, "Our power, our abilities come from our chakra."

"I see…Yes…Yes, your blood," Spiel mumbled, "Your blood! It will taste…Delicious!"

Naruto, who was silently attempting to free Balloon, spoke up.

"Okay, the guy's insane," he grimaced, "Time to kick his ass."

He turned to Ann, and handed her his lock picking equipment.

"Think you could get your bird out?" he asked.

"Who do you think I am?" Ann indignantly asked back.

"Right, right. Sorry."

With than, Naruto charged a Rasengan, and leaped at Spiel. Said pirate captain jumped onto his broomstick of all things, and flew up to a safe distance. Or so he thought, before he had to dive out of the way of another fireball, courtesy of Sasuke.

"Take this!" Spiel yelled, throwing a bolt of lightning at Sasuke, but the bolt was negated by a Fūton: Rasengan from Naruto.

Still holding the complete form of his father's jutsu, Naruto extended the wind blades into a fully formed Fūton: Rasenshuriken, before throwing it at Spiel. The pirate managed to detonate the jutsu, by throwing a bolt of fire, rising upwards on his broom to avoid the explosion.

"Where the hell did you get your powers, 'ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed.

"The blood of the Ruku bird grants magical powers to whoever consumes it," Spiel explained, cackling, "I have searched far and wide for all seven of them, and I have succeeding in finding six. Once I drink the blood of the final one, I shall ascend to the realms of the gods!"

With that, Spiel generated a bolt of purple lightning between his hands, before throwing it into the sky. Above them, dark clouds started to gather, before becoming a full-fledged storm. Strikes of lightning fell from the clouds, reaching the galley. However, the bolts were indiscriminate, electrocuting several members of Spiel's crew.

"Spiel-senchō! Please stop the attack!" one of them cried out.

"Now, why would I do that?" Spiel snorted, "If you can't survive this, then you aren't fit to be a part of my crew!"

He then continued with his assault, to the point where it became very likely that Spiel's war galley was on the verge of being destroyed. By this point, though, Ann had managed to pick the lock to the cage that held Balloon.

"There you go Balloon," Ann said, smiling, "Out you come."

The bird hopped out of the cage, and stretching his wings out to their full wingspan. He then turned his head over his shoulder, and looked at Ann.

"You want me to get on?" Ann asked, before nodding. She got on, and Balloon flew up, intending on flying away. Unfortunately, Spiel saw this, and threw a bolt of greenish fire at the pair.

Naruto, who saw this, yelled out a warning, "Ann, look out!"

"Wha-?" Ann looked back, and widened her eyes in shock, "Balloon!"

The bird dived to avoid the flames, but not so quickly that Ann didn't avoid singing the top of her hair.

"Don't think you'll escape with my Ruku bird, wretched child!" Spiel bellowed.

"Balloon, you need to avoid Spiel!" Ann cried out.

The Ruku bird trilled in acceptance, before taking evasive manoeuvres. However, Spiel managed to get a glancing shot at Balloon's wing, causing the bird to crash-land on the damaged ship. The enforced landing was so rough, that it led to Ann being flung a short distance away from the injured bird. Spiel, seeing this, prepared to send a bolt of pure magic at Ann with the intent to kill her.

"Your existence is more trouble than it's worth!" he spat, "I should have just given you to my crew from the start! Die!"

"Ann!" Naruto yelled.

While Spiel chased after Balloon, Naruto and Sasuke were surrounded by what was left of Spiel's crew. Thus, neither of them, nor the other shinobi, were in a position to be able to save Ann. Said girl was disorientated from the crash and was unable to make an effort to avoid the attack.

"Huh?" Ann shook her head to try and regain her equilibrium. When she looked up, what she saw made her freeze in terror.

In Spiel's hands was a large glowing and sparking ball of arcane energy.

"Take this!" Spiel roared, throwing the ball.

Ann could only watch, as the ball came close and closer. Her legs refused to work and try to dodge the attack, while none of the ninja-pirates were able to come to her rescue.

 ** _BOOM_**

"ANN!" Naruto shouted, as a large cloud of dust covered the entire deck.

"Gahahahahaha!" Spiel cackled.

" **Fūton: Daitoppa** ," Sai spoke, blowing away the cloud.

Naruto waited in suspense, hoping that their rescue efforts weren't in vain. As the dust cleared, Naruto managed to catch sight of Ann, relatively unscathed.

"Ann!" Naruto called out, smiling in relief.

The silver-blonde girl lowered the arms she reflexively raised and opened her eyes.

"Wha…What?" she breathed, before her head snapped up. To Ann's horror, Balloon had moved in front of her, wings outstretched, protecting her, "BALLOON!"

Said bird keeled over, scorch marks covering its body. It let out a feeble caw, as it wearily opening its eyes to look at Ann.

"Balloon!" Ann tearfully clutched at the bird, "Hold on! Don't go! Don't leave me!"

"You foolish girl!" Spiel roared in anger, "See what you made me do!"

"Oi! That was your own fall, not Ann's, 'ttebayo!" Naruto retorted.

"Stay out of this!" the pirate captain hissed, and raised his arm to attack Ann once more, only for Sasuke to leap over all the grunts and in front of Spiel

"Enough of this! **Amaterasu**!" he yelled as he flared his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. This brought forth eldritch black-purple flames Sasuke made his own, where Mangekyō techniques were concerned.

"Hah! That won't work!" Spiel cackled, invoking a barrier, "So long as I have my powers, your flames will not hurt me!"

"Hn. But how long will they last?" Sasuke asked, an arrogant smirk on his lips, "What happens when your powers…run out?"

"What?"

"Amaterasu. The black flame that devour all, for seven days and seven nights," the Last Uchiha went on, "Can your powers last that long? I don't think so."

"No…No. This cannot be!" Spiel cried, as he began to falter slightly, "I am Spiel the Immortal! I cannot die! I will not die!"

Sasuke snorted, "Yeah. No. You aren't immortal. You're just a parasite. Feeding on the strength of others. A parasite that needs to be destroyed."

The barrier that Spiel erected began to flicker. The pirate captain tried, in vain, to hold it up, but it continued to flicker before fading completely. Instantly, Spiel was enveloped by the black flames. Attempts to pat them out merely ended with the flames covering him sooner.

"NOOOOOOoooooo!"

With his dying breath, Spiel let out one final defiant cry, before he succumbed to the black flames and burnt to ashes. Said ashes then blew away in a brief gust of wind, scattering into the air.

"Well. That was…amusing," Sasuke drawled, "Now what?

Before anyone could reply to Sasuke's question, a sniffle could be heard. The crew turned towards the direction of the sound, and saw a depressing sight. There, on the deck of Spiel's warship was Ann, knelt before the burnt corpse of Balloon. Even without a good look, Naruto could tell that the bird was dead. Sakura ran towards the young woman, and knelt beside her while offering words of comfort.

"Sasuke, could you…?" Naruto trailed off, seeing Sasuke shake his head.

"I don't think Rinne Tensei will work on that bird," he said, "It only works on beings with chakra, and that bird didn't have any. Even then, I still haven't mastered Gedō, like I have the other Paths."

"Right…" Naruto turned towards Ann, with a sad expression.

"What am I supposed to do now?" the former captive sobbed, while Sakura had a comforting arm around her shoulder, "Balloon's gone, and my village is destroyed. I don't have anywhere else to go."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, as he mulled over his thoughts.

"You could come with us? We'd really appreciate someone who knows about the seas on our crew. Our information is second hand, at best," he hesitantly suggested, "I mean. Even if you don't want to join. We can at least take you as far as the next inhabited island."

Ann's head snapped up to look directly at the blond-haired ninja.

"You're serious?" she asked, "You're offering me, a total stranger, to join your crew? To help?"

"Wouldn't be the first time I've helped someone I only met on the same day," Naruto foxily grinned.

"It's not going to be the last. I can already tell this will be troublesome," Shikamaru muttered from the side.

"Shut up, Shika!" Naruto hissed, before adopting a cheery expression, "So, what do you say?"

"I…I need some time to think," Ann said, "I know you aren't like Spiel and his goons, but…Just let me think about whether I would like to join or not. But I appreciate the offer to take me to the next island."

"Sure thing," Naruto assured, "We don't have a lot of room for privacy, so you'll have to bunk with Sakura-chan, if that's okay?"

"That's fine, thank you," Ann replied.

"You're welcome," Naruto nodded, before turning to Shikamaru, "Set a course for Ocean's Naval. Sai, the wheel is yours.

"Barely a week, and we've already found trouble," Naruto sighed. It was just the beginning, and it was only going to get worse from there on.

* * *

 **Author Notes:** So, here's another chapter. After reading ' _ **This Bites!**_ ', I got a real big One Piece bug, which got me to churn out this chapter. But don't expect this to be a regular thing. I doubt I'll have time for another chapter in the future.

For those of you who don't know, Ann is a Nami-like character from one of the pilot chapters of Romance Dawn. I wanted to try something unique as far as having One Piece characters on Naruto's crew. Ann is a blank slate, as far as her character goes, so it's pretty much an OC without being an OC. An interesting bit of information for you is that if Ace was a girl, his name would have been Ann.

Anyway, the next chapter will consist of an anime-only filler arc from East Blue, and then we'll have Naruto and his crew meet up with the future Pirate King.

See you at the next update!


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